Lure

ABSTRACT

A lure having a hook and a tube extending through the body with at least one noise making element within the tube. As the lure moves in the water, the noise making element creates noise and vibrations and the appearance of a moving eye to attract fish to the lure.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This continuation application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S.application Ser. No. 15/970,654, filed May 3, 2018, the disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference, herein, in its entirety, forall purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of fishing. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to the field of lures.

BACKGROUND

Lures are used by fishing hobbyists and professionals to catch fish.Lures come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and configurations and canoften be relatively inexpensive. Further, lures are versatile in thatthey can be tailored to attract a particular type of fish by changingone or more characteristics, for example, the shape or size.

Another characteristic that may attract a fish is how lifelike the lureappears to a fish. One aspect of a lure that can make the lure appearlifelike is the eyes of the lure. One attempt to create a lifelike eyein the fishing industry, as seen in United States Patent PublicationNumber 2009/0277071, was to use a hologram, glitter or other surfaceapplication to make the eye look three dimensional. As the lure and eyemoves in the water, the light will reflect off of the eye in differentdirections making the eye appear to move. However, the use of suchsurface applications lose their affect in low light conditions and canbe partially or wholly scrapped off during use, e.g. fish strikes or bycontacting something hard.

Another aspect of a lure that can make the lure appear lifelike is thesound and/or vibrations it makes. Some prey, e.g. invertebrates, soughtafter by fish, e.g. bass, make sounds and vibrations in the water thatfish use to locate such prey. Some lures use rattles to mimic the soundand vibrations created by such prey to attract the sought after fish.Therefore, a need exists for a lure with lifelike eyes that alsoproduces sound and vibrations.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that one or moreaspects of this invention can meet certain objectives, while one or moreother aspects can lead to certain other objectives. Other objects,features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will beapparent in this summary and descriptions of the disclosed embodiment,and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such objects,features, benefits and advantages will be apparent from the above astaken in conjunction with the accompanying figures and all reasonableinferences to be drawn therefrom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a lure.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the lure in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the lure of FIG. 2 taken fromthe line 3-3.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment ofthe lure in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of another alternative embodimentof the lure in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view of the lure of FIG. 2 taken alongthe line 6-6.

FIG. 7 is a front cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment ofthe lure in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a lure.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of alure.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of another alternative embodiment of alure.

FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of another alternative embodiment of alure.

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of another alternative embodiment of alure.

FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of another alternative embodiment of alure.

FIG. 14 is a side elevation view of another alternative embodiment of alure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIGS. 1-2, a lure 10, for example a jig, includes a head orbody 12 and a hook 14 and eyelet 16 connected or attached to the head.The hook 14 can be attached to the head by a shank. The eyelet 16 can beused to attach the lure 10 to fishing line. As seen in FIGS. 4-5, thehook 14 and eyelet 16 can be formed from the same member, e.g. metalwire, can be separate components (for example a first piece of materialand a second piece of material) and attached to or embedded in the head12 as seen in FIG. 3 or integrally formed with the head. In FIGS. 4-5the wire forms an arcuate section or bend around the hollow and/orsealed tube 22. In FIG. 4, the bend is a 90 degree quarter bend and thetube 22 is positioned above the bend. In FIG. 5, the bend is an inverted90 degree quarter bend and the tube 22 is positioned below the bend.

The head 12 embodiment seen in FIG. 5 has a hole or bore 20 formedtherein and in which a tube 22 is located. The hole seen in FIG. 5extends from a first side of the head 12 to the second side of the head.The tube 22 can include one or more noise making elements 24, e.g. ballbearings, that make a noise and vibration when they contact each otheror the ends of the tube. In one embodiment, as seen in FIG. 1, thelongitudinal axis L′ of the tube 22 is generally perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis L″ of the hook 14. Although the bore and tube areshown in FIGS. 1-5 as having a cylindrical profile or shape, the tubeand bore could be of any shape, e.g. square, without defeating thespirit of the invention. Also, although the noise making elements areshown as spherical, they could be of any desired shape, e.g. oblong,irregular, etc., without defeating the spirit of the invention.

In the embodiment seen in FIG. 1, the ends 26, 28 of the tube 22 arehemispherical in shape to mimic the shape of a fish eye and help reducethe likelihood of the ends causing the lure 10 to become snagged. Theends 26, 28 of the tube 22 seen in the embodiment in FIG. 1 also extendoutwardly from or beyond the profile of the head 12 on the sides of thehead to further mimic the shape of a fish eye. However, the ends 26, 28could be of any shape, e.g. oblong, irregular, etc., and extend or notextend from the head 12 without defeating the spirit of the invention.

In the embodiment seen in FIG. 7, the tube 22 is made from glass andincludes two balls 24. The diameter of the balls 24 are sized justslightly smaller than or generally about the same size as the interiorcavity of the tube 22 to decrease the impact of the balls with the sidesof the tube and to inhibit the balls from breaking the tube. The balls24 being sized slightly smaller than the tube 22 also gives the lure 10the appearance of having lifelike eyes as the balls move into and out ofthe ends 26, 28. Two balls 24 are used in the embodiment seen in FIG. 6to decrease the momentum that can be developed by the balls whentraveling from one end of the tube 22 to the other and inhibit the ballsfrom breaking the tube. As seen in FIG. 6, the balls are sized such thatthe first ball must remain between the first end and the second ball.

In one embodiment seen in FIG. 6, the thickness of the material formingthe ends 26, 28 of the tube 22 or first thickness is increased orgreater than the thickness of the material on a side of the tube orsecond thickness, e.g. between the ends, to further inhibit the ball(s)24 from breaking the tube. However, more (as seen in FIG. 6) or lessthan two balls 24 could be used and the balls could be smaller or ofvarying sizes without defeating the spirit of the invention.

Glass is used in the embodiment seen in FIG. 7 because the contactbetween the balls 24 and the ends 26, 28 of the tube 22 results insufficient sound and vibration to attract fish. The iridescence of theglass also helps the eyes appear more lifelike. However, the tube 22could be made from any material that allows or permits at least somelight through the material, e.g. translucent, transparent, clear, etc.,such that the ball(s) 24 can be seen, is visible, or is otherwiseobservable through the material when one or more ball 24 is located orpositioned in or near the ends 26, 28, e.g. plastic such aspolycarbonates, without defeating the spirit of the invention.

As the lure 10 is used while fishing, e.g. allowed to sink to the bottomand pulled up off of the bottom of the water bed, the ball(s) 24 willrotate into and out of the ends 26, 28 of the tube 22. When the balls 24contact each other or the ends 26, 28 of the tube 22 a rattle sound andvibration will be created. The movement of the balls 24 rotating intoand out of the ends 26, 28 of the tube also make the lure 10 appear tohave eyes that are moving. The movement of the eyes together with therattle sound and vibrations attract fish.

The combination of a tube 22 and ball(s) 24 can be used with a varietyof lures. For example, in addition to the round ball, waco or crappiejig shown in FIGS. 1-7 and 13-14, the tube 22 and ball(s) 24 can be usedin a football jig 30 as seen in FIG. 8, a bullet jig 32 as seen in FIG.9, a swimbait or darter head jig 34, which looks like the head of afish, as seen in FIG. 10, swim jig 36 seen in FIG. 11; crank baits 40 asseen in FIG. 12, vibe baits, chatter baits and many other lures.

Further, the tube 22 and ball(s) 24 can be used with a variety ofaccessories on lures for example, extra eyelets 16, such as a first andsecond eyelet as seen in FIGS. 8, 12 and 14 for use in attachingadditional hooks, spinner blades, etc.; barbs 42, as seen in FIGS. 9 and13, which can be used to keep synthetic baits 44 or skirts on the lure10; a spinner blade 48 or a collar (used for attaching a bass skirt) asseen in FIG. 10, a weed guard 50 and/or a bait hook for keeping livebait on the lure 10 as seen in FIG. 14, etc.

Other fishing tackle with a mechanism to create a rattling sound areknown in the art. For example, Southern Pro Tackle, Inc. sells a RattleEye Jig. The Rattle Eye Jig has doll eyes affixed to the exteriorportion of the jig. The doll eyes have a small black material inside aclear hemisphere. As the jig moves in the water the black material willmove around inside the hemisphere making the eye appear somewhatlifelike. However, the Rattle Eye Jig suffers from a number ofdisadvantages. For example, the doll eyes are applied to the surface ofthe jig and are therefore susceptible to being broken off during use,e.g. fish strikes or by contacting something hard. By way of anotherexample, due to the small size of the black material and small interiorcavity of the eye, the sound generated is not optimized.

In fact, the design of the Southern Pro Tackle, Inc., Rattle Eye Jig wasexpressly disparaged in United States Patent Publication Number2013/0152450. The 2013/0152450 Publication stated that “plac[ing] thenoise-making device on the jig-head [leads] to easy breakage or snaggingand impedes the ability to attach bait to the hook.” Instead, the2013/0152450 Publication describes using a plurality of free-movingbeads inside a rigid tube located inside the body of the lure. The2013/0152450 Publication does not teach using the interior tube to makea lure look more lifelike and, as described above, expressly rejectssuch a design.

To make a lure 10 with a tube 22 and ball(s) 24 such as seen in FIG. 1,a jig, an eyelet 16 and hook 14 are placed into a mold. The mold hasprojections to create the hole 20 in the formed body 12. The mold isthen filled with a material to make the lure 10, in one embodiment ajig. One type of material used with lures is lead, however othermaterials can be used, e.g. stainless steel, plastics, tungsten, etc.,without defeating the spirit of the invention. In one embodiment aninjection molding technique is used, however other molding techniquesknown in the art can be used, e.g. blow molding, compression molding,etc., without defeating the spirit of the invention.

In some embodiments it is desired to coat the lure 10 with a paint,epoxy, enamel or other coating. For example, if a lead material is used,it may be desirable to coat the lure 10 so that handling by a user wouldnot result in lead poisoning. Coating the lure 10 can also increase thestrength and longevity of the lure. Further, some fish can see and areattracted to colors more than others. In such instances, the hole 20 isplugged and the lure 10 is painted. In one embodiment, the lure 10 isdipped into an epoxy four times. After each time the lure 10 is dippedinto epoxy, the lure is hung to dry. Epoxy could be applied to the lure10 in a number of known techniques, e.g. spray coating, and the numberof applications could be varied depending on the desired finish andmaterial used without defeating the spirit of the invention.

In one embodiment, the tube is made by taking hot glass in a tube shapeand placing a first end into a first mold to seal and form ahemi-spherical end at the first end. The hot glass in a tube shape isthen cut and one or more balls 24 are placed in the tube. A second moldis placed on top of the second or cut end. Pressure is then applied tothe second mold to seal and form a hemi-spherical end at the second end.[yes] In some embodiments, it may be desirable to have both the firstend and second end to be generally symmetrical and look the same. Thismakes the lure look like it is higher quality and can be sold forincreased pricing. Colored glass or glass could also be used withoutdefeating the spirit of the invention.

After the lure 10 has been painted or coated, the plug can be removedfrom the hole 20 and adhesive applied to the hole, e.g. glue, epoxy,etc. The tube 22 is inserted into the hole such that the lure isgenerally centered on the tube. In some embodiments, the adhesive may belight activated, which case the adhesive would be exposed to anultraviolet light.

The above described process results in a high quality lure 10. The tube22 is created with high uniformity and low variance such that there issufficient space to place the tube in the hole 20, but not so much spacethat the tube is prone to falling out or being dislodged during use.

Although the invention has been herein described in what is perceived tobe the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understoodthat the invention is not intended to be limited to the specificembodiments set forth above. Rather, it is recognized that modificationsmay be made by one of skill in the art of the invention withoutdeparting from the spirit or intent of the invention and, therefore, theinvention is to be taken as including all reasonable equivalents to thesubject matter of the appended claims and the description of theinvention herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lure comprising: a body with a hole formedtherein; a hook connected to the body; an eyelet connected to the body;a tube with a first end and second end, the tube positioned in the holesuch that the first end is located on a first side of the body and thesecond end is located on a second side of the body; and a first ball anda second ball located inside the tube; wherein the first ball creates anoise and vibration when the first ball contacts the first end; whereina longitudinal axis of the tube is generally perpendicular to alongitudinal axis of the hook; wherein the first ball is visible throughthe tube and the second ball is not visible through the first end of thetube when the first ball is located near the first end; and wherein thesecond ball is visible through the tube and the first ball is notvisible through the second end of the tube when the second ball islocated near the second end.
 2. The lure of claim 1, wherein the tubehas an interior cavity and a diameter of the first ball is sizedgenerally the same as the interior cavity.
 3. The lure of claim 1,wherein the tube is made from a material that permits light through thematerial.
 4. The lure of claim 1, wherein the first ball and the secondball are sized such that the first ball must remain between the firstend and the second ball.
 5. The lure of claim 1, wherein the body iscoated with at least one material selected from a group consisting ofpaint, epoxy and enamel.
 6. The lure of claim 1, wherein the tube ismade from a transparent material.
 7. The lure of claim 6, wherein thetransparent material of the tube has a first thickness at one of thefirst end and second end and the transparent material of the tube has asecond thickness on a side of the tube and wherein the first thicknessis greater than the second thickness.
 8. The lure of claim 1, whereinthe tube is attached to the body by a light activated adhesive.
 9. Thelure of claim 1, wherein the hook is made from a first piece of materialand the eyelet is made from a second piece of material.
 10. A lurecomprising: a body with a hole formed therein; a hook connected to thebody by a shank; an eyelet connected to the body; a tube made from atransparent material with a first end and second end, the tubepositioned in the hole such that the first end is visible from a firstside of the body and the second end is visible from a second side of thebody; and a ball located inside the tube; wherein the ball creates anoise and vibration when the ball contacts one of the first end andsecond end; and wherein the ball is visible through the tube when theball is located near one of the first end and second end.
 11. The lureof claim 10, wherein the tube has an interior cavity and a diameter ofthe ball is sized generally the same as the interior cavity.
 12. Thelure of claim 10, further comprising a second ball located inside thetube.
 13. The lure of claim 12, wherein the first ball and the secondball are sized such that the first ball must remain between the firstend and the second ball.
 14. The lure of claim 10, wherein the body iscoated with at least one material selected from a group consisting ofpaint, epoxy and enamel.
 15. (canceled)
 16. The lure of claim 10,wherein the transparent material of the tube has a first thickness atone of the first end and second end and the transparent material of thetube has a second thickness on a side of the tube and wherein the firstthickness is greater than the second thickness.
 17. The lure of claim10, wherein the tube is attached to the body by a light activatedadhesive.
 18. The lure of claim 10, wherein the hook is made from afirst piece of material and the eyelet is made from a second piece ofmaterial.
 19. The lure of claim 10, wherein the tube is made from amaterial that permits light through the material.
 20. The lure of claim10, wherein a longitudinal axis of the tube is generally perpendicularto a longitudinal axis of the shank.